Feed-regulator for match-box-filling machines.



No. 795,919. PATBNTED AUG.1,'1905. A. LAGERMAN. FEED REGULATOR FOR MATCH BOX FILLING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 4, 1902.

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A. LAGERMAN. FEED REGULATOR-FOR MATCH BOX FILLING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 4, 1902.

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PATBNTED AUG. 1, 1 905.

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FEED REGULATOR FOR MATCH BOX FILLING MACHINES.

4 SHEETS-SHEET. 3.

. APPLICATION FILED AUG- 411902 PATBNTED AUG. 1,1905.

I A. LAGBRMAN. V FEED REGULATOR FOR MATCH BOX FILLING MACHINES.

APPLIOATION FILED we. 4, 1002.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER LAGERMAN, OF JONKOPING, SWEDEN, ASSIGNOR TO THE DIAMOND MATCH COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1, 1905.

Application filed August 4, 1902.v Serial No. 118,361-

To atZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER LAGERMAN, of Jonkoping, in the Kingdom of Sweden, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feed-Regulators for Match -B0x-Filling Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a horizontal section of portion of a match-machine embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a vertical section thereof; Fig. 3, a detail -view in vertical section and on a larger scale; Fig. 4t, a similar view-on the line 00 w of Fig. 3; Fig. 5, a detail top plan view; Fig. 6, a detail view in section on the line y y of Fig. 5; Fig. 7, a detail view of the lower ends of the bars which form a part of the matchsupply-regulating mechanism.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of the figures.

The object of my invention is to provide a machine for filling match-boxes with means for automatically insuring the placing of the desired number of matches in each box; and to this end my invention consists in the machine having the construction substantially as hereinafter specified and claimed.

I illustrate my invention as embodied in the match-machine which forms the subject of Letters Patent of the United States No. 761,773, dated June 7, 1904., in which machine the matches are removed from the dipping-frames or holders and deposited upon a table A, having grooves co and a for the reception of matches. A comb B, reciprocating across the table, with its teeth in the grooves thereof, pushes the matches therefrom into temporary boxes C and C on an endless track D, alongwhich the boxes are moved step by step, the track guiding them past the table for the reception of matches therefrom and then to a convenient place at the front of i the machine for the emptying of their contents into the boxes in which they are placed for sale. The boxes shown are divided by partitions into a number of compartments, and the distance through which the boxes are moved each step is equal to two compartments. At the end of the table A from which the filled boxes pass a section thereof is made vertically movable, it being at such point composed of a number of bars E and E, having each a groove a and pivoted at the delivery end of the table to a pin or rod F. At the opposite end said bars are pivotally c0nnected on their under sides to vertical supporting-bars Cr and G, their being a bar Or for each bar E. The bars E and E are held in their raised or normal position by the bars G and G, each of the latter having for this purpose a shoulder or offset 9, that engages the upper edge of a horizontal bar H,.having side arms h and It, by which it is attached to and supported from a convenient part of the machine. Connected to an arm 9 on each bar G is one end of a spring 1, whose other end is attached to a rod K, supported by the arms /t and h, which spring acts to pull the bar G downward when the latter is released from'the supporting-bar H and lowers the grooved match-receiving bar E to place any matches therein out of the path of the comb B, so that the latter will not move the matches therefrom into the boxes C and C.

The portion of the table that is composed of the bars E and E is equal in extent laterally to the lateral extent of two box-compartments, so that when a box comes to rest opposite such portion two box-compartments are in line therewith.

The lowering of the match-receiving bars E and E is automatically controlled or effected by the number or quantity of matches placed in the boxes by the time the latter come opposite that portion of the table whichis formed by or composed 'of the grooved bars E and E. For this purpose I employ the following-described mechanism: Mounted on arock-shaft L is a lever M, having an arm m, to which is connected the upper ends of two similar vertical bars N and N, the connection being a loose one, so that there can be limited independent movement of lever and bars, and consisting in each instance of a slot at in the bar and a block a in the'slot,-secured to the lever by a screw and being smaller vertically than the slot. On the side of the bar N opposite the lever-arm m the block a has lugs 02 and 02 that overlap the bar adjacent to the slot and have rounded faces to engage the same to allow for change of relative position of the lever-arm and the bar, due to the rocking motion of the latter. For rocking the lever it has a roller m, that engages the periphery of a cam O on a shaft P. The cam O has such form as to enable the bars N and N to descend twice in one revolution and. to raise them to a slightly-higher position before their second descent. Attached to each bar N by screws for the purpose of adjustment and extending from the bar to a position above matches in the boxes is a finger Q, adapted on the descent of the bar when the lever-arm m rocks downward to engage the matches and be stopped thereby, th us arresting the descent of the bar N, the stoppage of the bar N being possible because of the loose connection between it and the lever-arm. At its lower end each bar N is pivotally connected to a lever R, that is pivoted on a fixed shaft S, mounted in ears on a bracket T, which is bolted to a convenient part of the frame of the machine, and connected with each lever R by a bar U above and parallel with the shaft S is an arm V, also pivoted on the shaft S. Besides the swinging movement of the levers and arms on the shaft S they have a lateral or sidewise movement thereon, at one limit of which they are yieldingly held by a coiled spring W on the shaft, one end of which engages the innermost lever and the other end a pin 8 or other device on the shaft. For moving the levers and arms laterally against the pressure of the spring a lever X is provided, that is pivoted v at its upper end to a convenient part of the machine and has its lower end in position to engage the side of the outermost lever R in all positions of its swinging movement. Projecting from the lever X is an arm 00, having its end provided with inclined surfaces adapted for engagement by a roller Y on a wheel Z on the shaft P, whereby the lever X may be moved to cause the desired lateral movement of the levers R and R and the arms V and V. When the roller Z passes out of engagement with the arm m and the return movement of the parts under the pressure of the spring is produced, the lever X is stopped by an arm A.

The object of the lateral movement of the levers and arms is to effect by the engagement of the arms with the bars G and G the disengagement of, the latter from the bar H, whereby said bars G and G may be pulled downward by their springs I and I and the matchsupporting bars E and E lowered, while the rocking movement of the levers and arms is to place said arms in that relation to the bars G and G which is required in view of the quantity of matches in the boxes and also in respect to the upward movement of said arms to efiect the lifting of the bars G and G and the match-supporting bars E and E, said lifting being accomplished by the engagement of the arms with shoulders g and g on the sides of the respective bars G and G.

Two arms V and V, with a like number of levers R and R and vertical controlling-bars N and N, are employed, because the bars E and.

E are divided into two groups, with an equal number of bars in each. The distance traveled by the boxes at each step being equal to two compartments of the box, two groups of bars E and E are necessary to insure regulation of the quantity of matches in each compartment. If the distance traveled by the boxes for each step were equal to but one compartment, a single group of bars E and E and a single controlling mechanism would suffice. It will therefore be understood that the scope of the invention is not limited to any number of groups of bars E and E and the controlling and operating mechanism, the machine being readily susceptible of variation in this regard.

Each arm V cooperates with one of the groups of bars E and E, and the bars of each group-preferably, though not necessarily, four in numberare graduated as to length, so that the arm V for the group may be swung in position to engage either a single bar, two bars, three bars, or all the bars of the group when said arm is moved laterally. It will be seen that the number of matches to be supplied to the boxes from the grooved bars E and E is determined by the number of said bars at a time which are not engaged by the arm V when the latter is moved laterally.

Any matches that may be in the grooves of the bars E and E that may be lowered out of the path of the advancing comb B are by the lifting of the bars before the retraction of the comb placed in the path of the comb and are thereby carried rearward off the bars E and E and fall into a suitable receptacle. The teeth of the comb that move along the grooves in the bars E and E are short and are at the forward side of the comb only, so that when the bars E and E rise with matches upon them the matches will meet with no obstruction from the comb.

A cushion B, of leather or other material, is secured to the bar H, against which the bars G and G strike when they are released from the bar and are drawn downward by the springs.

The operation of the machine shown is as follows: A box coming to rest with two of its compartments opposite the bars E and E, the cam Q is so timed that it causes the leverarm on to rock downward, leaving the bars N and N free to descend. If the boxes already have their full quota of matches, said bars by the contact of their fingers Q and Q with the matches will be prevented from descending and the arms V and V will be held up in position to engage all of the bars G and G when they are moved laterally, and on being moved laterally by the lever X, as heretofore described, all said bars will be freed from the bar H, and they, and in consequence the match-supporting bars E and E,will be moved downward by the springs I and I. The comb B now advancing will pass above the matches on the depressed bars E and E, and accordpendent of the other compartment.

ingly no matches will be carried into the boxcompartments opposite said bars E and E, the cam 0 being timed to rock the lever M to lift the bars N and N and through them and the levers R and R to lift the arms V and V before the comb is retracted. Said arms V and V engaging the shoulders and g on the bars Gr and G will lift the latter, raising the match-holdingbars E and E to normal position and presenting the matches therein .in the path of the comb as the latter moves rearward, so that such matches will be ejected.

Should the box-compartments require for the i completion of their quota all of the matches in the grooves of the bars E and E, then the finger-carrying bars N and N will descend arms V and V in their descent at a point where ,the remaining bars E and E will be lowered and their contents kept from being pushed into the box-compartments. It will of course be understood that the quantities of matches in the two box-compartments may differ, and if they do that for each compartment the control of the supply of matches thereto from the bars E and E will be inde- The first descent of the bars N and N in one revolution of the cam O is for causing the tripping or release of those match-supporting barsE and E that are necessary to be released, the lifting of them to a slightly-higher position than they have before such first descent is to effect the return of said bars E and E to normal position before the retraction of the comb begins, and the second descent is. to enable those matches that may have been placed in the boxes from bars E and E to be pressed down, the fingers Q and Q, thus serving as pressers.

Though in the machine shown temporary boxes are employed for the reception of the matches, it is to be understood that the scope of the invention includes the delivery of matches directly to the permanent boxes.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a match-box-filling machine, the combination with a series of traveling receptacles, of means for progressively supplying matches thereto, said means having a variable-feed portion past which the receptacles are moved and by which the supply of matches to the receptacles is continued or discontinued, as

- the contents of the receptacles may require.

2. The combination of a match-support, a

receptacle, means for progressively moving the matches thereto from said support, and means for changing the plane of the matches in said support with relation to that of the firstnamed means when a predetermined quantity of matches has been supplied to the recepta- 0 es. 7

3. The combination of a match-support, a receptacle, means for moving the matches thereto from said support, and means under the influence of the matches in said receptacle for changing the plane of the matches in said supportwith relation to that of the first-named means when a predetermined quantity of matches has been supplied to the receptacle.

4. The combination of a match-support, a series of traveling receptacles adjacent thereto, constantly-moving means for progressively moving the matches from said support to the receptacles, and automatic means whereby a portion of the matches in said support is moved out of the path of the first-named means when a predetermined quantity of matches has been supplied to a receptacle or receptacles.

5. The combination of a receptacle, means for placing matches therein, and means for controlling the supply of more matches to said receptacle said latter means being influenced in its action by the quantity of matches previously placed in the receptacle, substantially as and for the purpose described.

6. The combination of a source of supply of matches, a receptacle, and means influenced in its action by the quantity of matches already in the receptacle for controlling the supply of more matches thereto, substantially as and for the purpose described.

7. The combination of a source of supply of matches, a receptacle, a part having the extent of its movement controllable by matches in the receptacle, and means whereby the deliv cry of matchesfrom the source of supply to the receptacle is regulated by. said part, substantially as and for the purpose described;

8. The combination of a match-supporting part or parts, means for acting, upon the matches thereon and delivering them to a receptacle, and means whereby the action of such means upon the matches shall be automatically stopped when a predetermined quantity of matches has been supplied to the receptacle.

9. The combination of a match-receiving table having a movable portion, means traveling across the table to remove matches therefrom, and automatically-operated means for I placing the movable table portion in a position so that matches thereon will not be engaged by the match-removing means at certain times in its forward movement, substantially as and for the purpose described.

10. The combination of a match-receiving table having a movable portion, means travelingacross the table to move matches therefrom to a receptacle, and automatic means coacting with matches in the receptacle, when a predetermined quantity of matches is contained therein so as to place the movable table portion in a position that matches thereon will not be engaged by the match-removing means, substantially as and for the purpose described.

11. The combination of a match-supporting table having a vertically-movable portion, means traveling across the table to move matches therefrom to a receptacle, and automatic means coacting with matches in the receptacle when a predetermined quantity of matches is contained therein so as to lower said vertically-movable portion of the table, substantially as and for the purpose described.

12. The combination of amatch-supporting table having aplurality of movable match-supports, means for moving matches therefrom, a receptacle and means controlled by the contents of the receptacle for moving said supports independently of each other to change the position of the matches thereon in respect to the first-named means, substantially as and for the purpose described.

13. The combination of a match-supporting table havinga plurality of movable match-supports, means for moving matches therefrom to a receptacle, means for moving said supports, and means cooperating with matches in the receptacle for actuating the match-supportmoving means when the receptacle has received a predetermined quantity of matches, whereby the supply of additional matches to said receptacle is prevented, substantially as and for the purpose described.

14:. The combination of a match-receiving table having a plurality of pivoted, match-supporting bars, means to remove matches therefrom, and means to automatically rock said bars on their pivots to place matches on the bars out of the path of the match-removing means, substantially as and for the purpose described.

15. The combination of a match-receiving table havingaplurality of pivoted, match-supporting bars, means to remove matches therefrom, said match-supporting bars being movable to place matches thereon out of the path of the match-removing means vertically-movable bars connected with said match-supporting bars, and means acting on said verticallymovable bars to actuate the match-supporting bars, substantially as described.

16. The combination of a match-receiving table having a plurality of movable match-supports, means for removing matches therefrom, said supports'being movable to place matches thereon out of the path of the match-removing means, and an automatically moving part adapted to actuate one or more of said supports.

17. The combination of a match-receiving table having a plurality of match-supporting bars, means for moving matches therefrom, vertically-movable bars connected with said match-supporting bars, a support for said vertically-movable bars, and means for disengaging the latter from said support, substantially as and for the purpose described.

18. The combination of a match-receiving table having a plurality of match-supporting bars, means for moving matches therefrom, vertically-movable bars connected with said match-supporting bars, a support for said vertically-movable bars, an arm adapted to actuate the latter, and means for automatically moving the arm relative tosaid bars, substantially as and for the purpose described.

19. The combination of a match-receiving table having a plurality of match-supporting bars, means for moving matches therefrom to a receptacle, vertically-movable bars con nected with said match-supporting bars, a support for said vertically-movable bars, an arm adapted to actuate the latter, and a movable bar for moving said arm that has the extent of its movement controllable by matches in the receptacle, substantially as and for the purpose described.

20. The combination of a match-support, a receptacle, means for moving matches thereto from said support, and mechanism whereby matches in said support are caused to lie in or out of the path of said moving means as the quantum of matches in the receptacle may determine, said mechanism including a part adapted to cooperate with the matches in the receptacle, and means for moving said part, the latter and its operating means being connected to permit the stoppage of said part independently of its operating means, substantially as described.

21. The combination of a match-support, a receptacle, means for moving matches thereto from said support, and mechanism Whereby matches in said support are caused to lie in or out of the path of said feeding means as the quantum of matches in the receptacle may determine, said mechanism including a bar having a part to cooperate with the matches in the receptacle, a lever having a loose connection with said bar, and a cam for rocking said lever.

22. The combination of a match-receiving table having a movable match-receiving section, a receptacle, means whereby matches are movedfrom the table to the receptacle, means for supporting said section in a position to maintain the matches therein in the path of the match-moving means, an arm having two motions, one to effect the release of the section-supporting means to permit their movement to a position wherein the matches are out of the path of said moving means, and the other to effect the return of the section to its previous position, a bar having a part to cooperate with the matches in the receptacle, a lever having a loose connection with said bar, and connections between the latter and said arm to move the arm into op erative position with respect to the sectionsupporting means preparatory to the movement to return said section.

23. The combination of a grooved matchreceiving table having a section composed of movable grooved bars, a comb for moving matches therefrom into a receptacle, vertically-movable bars connected to said grooved bars, a support for said vertically-movable bars, a swinging and laterally-movable arm adapted to engage said vertically-movable bars, a lever connected to said arm, means to move said lever laterally, a bar connected to said lever, and having a part to cooperate with matches in the receptacle, and a lever having a loose connection with said bar, substantially as and for the purpose described.

24:. The combination of a match-receiving table, having a movable section, means traversing the table for moving matches therefrom to a receptacle, means for moving said section to place matches thereon out of the path of the match-moving means, when traveling in one direction, and in the path therewhen traveling in the direction toward thereceptacle, and up in the path of said removing means when traveling in the opposite direction, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 25th day of April, 1902.

ALEXANDER LAGERMAN.

Witnesses ERNST SvANGVIs'r, A. F. LUNDBORG. 

